Every Tuesday at 8 pm in room f111, American Sign Language club holds a meeting. I first found out about the club at the get involved fair three weeks ago but I went to my first meeting just last Tuesday. I really wanted to go to the meetings because I am a social work major and sign-language would be really useful in my future career. I have long been interested in learning sign-language, but I have never had the opportunity too.

The first half of the meeting was run like a lecture, where one person was in the front teaching and everyone was following along. It did not feel like a class though because after she showed us a motion we all did it too, so it was very interactive. We did not do anything too advanced. We learned words like friend and student.  We also learned all of the colors and the alphabet. After we learned all the new words, we broke off into groups so that we could practice. We asked simple questions like, “What is your name?” and “What year are you in?” It was amazing how much information I learned about people just by signing to them. At the end of the meeting they had sign-up sheets for all of the events that they were going to be doing for the rest of the year.

After the club, I felt really proud of everything that I had learned. I did not learn enough to have a full-fledged conversation with someone and I do not remember everything that we went over, but the club helped me to understand that learning basic sign-language is not that hard. When someone loses their hearing, they lose their primary form of communication. If everybody learned basic sign language, like the alphabet and simple greetings, then deaf people would have a much easier time communicating with rest of the world. I believe that ASL club is one of the most important clubs on campus because it helps students learn a skill that is very important, yet not very prevalent, in our society.

Between the ages of 3 and 13, I was a competitive dancer. I practically lived at the studio; I ate dinner there, did my homework there, and took naps in between dance classes. In 8^th grade, I quit dance and started playing field hockey. Even though I am an athlete now, I will always have dance in my bones.

When I came to Stockton and found out that there were Zumba classes being offered to students for free twice a week, I was ecstatic. I love working out and I love dancing; Zumba was the perfect combination of the two. What is so great about these Zumba classes is the amount of people that attend each class. There are easily 100 people at each class, each of them dancing like there is no tomorrow! These students are having a fun time while getting a great workout. The instructors say that you can burn up to 500 calories each workout! It is so hard to not get into the blasting music and the contagious dance moves!

It doesn’t matter whether you are a girl or a boy, coordinated or not, Zumba is a great way to spend your Monday and Wednesday nights, especially as a freshman. The classes are located in I wing gym which is not a far walk from the freshman dorms, and are only an hour long. Zumba is definitely worth attending! I highly advise any Stockton student who enjoys loud music, dancing, and working out to give it a shot! You will not regret it!

An event I have attended at Stockton was the Sherlock Holmes live play. I purchased a ticket for this event, at a discounted student rate. It was not a Stockton group performing the play, but a professional acting company performing their work for us, and for the general public who purchased tickets.

The play began with a violin solo, which was interesting and beautiful. It was well played. Upon closer inspection, one could see that Sherlock was, in fact, played by a woman. This was extremely interesting, and she played the role incredibly. There was not an obvious difference in the ways the character behaved because she was female, which was great.

The first act featured a girl who was suspicious of a governess position that had been offered to her. Good thing, because the family was hiding something: their  daughter. The mystery was solved by Holmes, of course, and the governess left her position. In the second act, a man complained to Holmes that his wife was sneaking out late at night. At first, they presumed she was cheating. However, with more investigation, they discovered that she had a daughter she was hiding because she was half black, and did not think her new lover would accept her child. The story was well acted, and everyone in the cast did a great job.

Although I had to leave early and missed the third act, Sherlock Holmes was a great performance and experience. The actors, especially Sherlock, were talented and performed to the best of their ability, showing their passion for their work. The stories were well thought-out, and intrigued the audience appropriately. Sherlock Holmes was an awesome event to attend at Stockon, and I would definitely keep my eyes open for more opportunities to come.

There is always something breath taking in the sunrise. The colors that creep across and stain the sky, the taste of the crisp cold air before the sun is up to warm the world, the stillness you are a part of because in these magic hours most living creatures dare not stir. Breath Taking.

Five times a week, I am the audience to the natural occurrences of the early hours. Monday Wednesday Friday, six am. Tuesday Thursday, five am. Whether the team is in I-wing gym, lifting with the strength and conditioning coach, Christian Allen, or out on the field with Coach Maurizi, every morning brings new challenges both physically and mentally to build us into the best team we can be, as well as a family. Joining the Women’s Lacrosse team was the right decision. My experiences with my coaches, training staff, and teammates have brought me new-found friends and fills my extra hours with activity that is healthy for my body. We do cardio pieces on the track, cardio skill drills, and lifting for legs, arms, back, and chest. Nothing beats those early morning practices on the field. Doing drills and having a stick in my hands makes me feel like I’ve found my place. Although most mornings we are up before the sun and before college life stirs on campus, it is worth it to be a part of something bigger than myself. Some days when it is near impossible to get out of bed, I think about my teammates and how they are depending on me being there, and also how their energy and happiness will get me through the workout. Stockton Athletics is an amazing program, with amazing people working to make me and other athletes live to our full potential. They take care of us like family, nurse our injuries, keep an eye on our grades, and make sure we are juggling everything. Its comforting to know if I ever felt overwhelmed I would have a concerned support staff to coach me through and help me make decisions best for my life. I am pumped for the upcoming pre-season and regular season, I am confident we will succeed in all our endeavors.